Topic: No depth reading with Y cable

[Blue76]

A little background..

I bought a 2009 ranger 188DVX a few weeks ago.  It has a 898 at the console and a 767 at the bow.  Evidently when it came from the factory it had another 767 at the console because it is still there but not hooked up for some reason.

When I took the boat out everything worked but had no depth when on plane.  Discovered the 2D transducer wire was run up to the 898 but folded back into the harness and not connected.  So I bought a Y cable so I could use both transducers. 

I took the boat to the lake and all I got was a depth reading of 2.8... all the time... no change no matter what.  So I unplugged the Y cable and plugged the SI transducer back in and it worked again but not on plane.

questions are... could the transducer be bad?  Is that a common problem?  Is there some setting I should have changed on the unit to use the Y cable?  Could it be a software issue?  I am running firmware 6.74 I am pretty sure.
Not sure where or what to do next?


Greg

[Humminbird_Greg]

Greg,
So with the Y-cable (AS-Si-DB-Y) plugged in you got correct depth readings at idle speeds?
If this is correct than it could be that the transducer is going bad and it could be that it was never installed correctly.  You can try pouring a few gallons of water into the bilge and see if it will start reading when on-plane with the Y-cable connected.  If it does, you can remove the transducer, clean everything up and then test and re-install the transducer.  Otherwise it is a guess if it is the transducer or the installation.  At that point try and ‘gently’ remove the transducer and test it by hanging it over the side of the boat to see if it reads correctly.

If it does not read correctly at idle speeds than skip to the water test part of the above and remove and re-install if applicable.

[Blue76]

No... with the Y cable installed it reads 2.8 feet all the time... never changes... like it is locked at that depth.  I unplugged the Y and plugged the SI transducer directly into the 898 and it works but not on plane.

I have to believe the 2D transducer worked at some point.  I wouldn't think the original owner would have bought a new boat and the transducer never worked...  I guess it is possible but unlikely.

I would think that either the 2D transducer is bad or there is some kind of setting I have wrong.

What should I select as the transducer type?  I believe it is set on "sidescan"

Greg

[Humminbird_Greg]

Greg,
You need to use the “Hi-Def Sidescan” menu setting.  Its not anything that you have set.

“I have to believe the 2D transducer worked at some point.  I wouldn't think the original owner would have bought a new boat and the transducer never worked...  I guess it is possible but unlikely.”
It happens more than you would think.  Most installers never test the location on every boat.  Instead they test one or two and assume that about the same location will work on every boat (which it won’t).  The only way to know for sure is to water test each boat to find the best location.

Do the water test and pop that transducer and test it.  Re-install if its still good or replace it if it is not (or you don’t want to take the chance that it got damaged during removal).

[Blue76]

Well bummer. I got home and decided to play with it and the unit will not boot up. Worked Friday but today nothing. Got good voltage to the unit but nothing will power on.

I am hoping I can send it somewhere for a repair?

Really screws up my week. 

Greg

[Humminbird_Greg]

Well that’s not good news…
Does the 797 unit at the bow work?
If it does, try swapping the 767 and 898 units around to see if they will power up on each other’s power cables and transducers.  This will help show where the problem is.

[Blue76]

Yes the 767 works at the bow.

Will the 898 power up with only the power cable or does it require the transducer to be hooked up?

I also checked voltage at the battery and it is 13.3... at the plug for the 898 it is 11.4.  Will the unit boot at 11.4 volts?  When I press the on button I get nothing... no back light or anything... just dead.

Greg

[Humminbird_Greg]

I think you just identified your problem Greg.  But first…
Yes the 898 will power up with just the power cable connected but the unit should automatically go into the Simulator mode.  We want to test it under a load and so need it to go into the Normal operational mode where the transmitter and receiver are working and drawing extra current from the battery.  So it is best to test with a transducer connected.

Yes, the 898 should be able to power on and operate at 11.4 volts – but this is only if it can get all the current that it needs at that same 11.4 volts.  The problem is that when you press the power button and the unit starts to draw current from the battery; the voltage drops to a level that will no longer allow the 898 unit to power on properly.  You need to check all of the electrical connections between the 898’s power cable and the battery it is powered from.  Look for any that are loose or corroded.  Do not forget the fuse, fuse holder and battery terminals.  It would not hurt to have your battery load tested while you are at it.  I prefer soldered and sealed electrical connections on a boat due to the mechanical stress and moisture that electrical connections get exposed to.

[Blue76]

I will try that this afternoon.  The boat has a 767 in the console but it was disconnected when I got it... I tried to hook it up and it would not power up either.  It may have been dead a long time... don't know for sure.

I will report what I find.

BTW... my future son in law in a game warden on Lake Eufaula... on the Ga side.  his name is Quinn... if you run into him one day tell him you know me.. might save you a ticket... or it may double the fine...

Greg

[Blue76]

Ok. Mayday over.

Bad connection on the terminal block under the dash. Used a different terminal and it boots up.

Still don't know if both transducers will work with Y cable or not. Guess I have to put it in the water to find out.

Wonder if the bad connection may have been the reason the 2d transducer didn't work Friday?

Greg

[Humminbird_Greg]

Greg,
How about I don’t give him a reason to ticket me in the first place?

I doubt that the bad electrical connection would cause the problem you saw with the 2D sonar, but you should test it on the water with the water as I stated above before trying anything else.